Zion was an absolute dream with Veronica & Jay last fall😍 We had the freaking best time exploring the gorgeous trails of Zion, enjoying the iconic views, and then we got ‘em hitched, of course. Excited about these amazing photos is an understatement – congrats, Veronica & Jay, and thanks for letting us tag along on your epic 2-day Zion National Park elopement!!
Veronica & Jay’s 2-Day Zion Adventure Elopement
About this rad couple + their elopement dreams
Would you believe us if we said we planned and executed Veronica & Jay’s elopement in 2 months?!
Once they found out that Jay’s visa got extended, they knew that Zion was the place they wanted to go. It was one of their dream locations to go together! Veronica included this hilarious note in her inquiry – “We originally booked this trip in 2019 but I had to have surgery, then we rebooked for 2020 but COVID kept us from traveling. So THIS IS OUR THIRD TIME TRYING TO GO 😭”
This poor couple😂 But hey, it all worked out in the end!!
They picked November 10th for their ceremony because it was their anniversary, and they decided that eloping in private was perfect for them since Jay’s family lives overseas. It was the perfect November elopement weather-wise, and we somehow timed it perfectly to get the peak fall foliage for Zion!! This entire day was so much fun – lots of laughter, heartfelt vows, and Jay and Corey got to nerd out together about video games. The important stuff, right?
We got the privilege of both photographing & filming this elopement, and Corey also officiated. (Did you know we offer officiant services with our photo & film packages?!) We looooved how laid-back yet super meaningful this adventure elopement was: Veronica wore the most fire red dress (shop it here!) to celebrate Jay’s Indian heritage, and she decided not to wear makeup because she usually doesn’t and wanted to feel comfortable. This is the perfect example of making sure you feel like your most true self on your elopement day – there’s no requirement to do anything you don’t want to do, or do anything that doesn’t feel right for you!!
Day 1: exploring Kolob Canyon
Day 1 of Veronica & Jay’s adventure elopement was spent exploring the stunning Kolob Canyon area of Zion National Park. We hiked both the Watchman Trail and the Pa’rus Trai, and really just took in the breathtaking canyon views, the 10/10 weather, and the stunning fall foliage that lined the canyons all around us! Can you even BELIEVE these vibrant yellow trees?!
Day 2: an intimate elopement ceremony at Timber Creek Overlook
The next day was November 10th: the day of their ceremony! Veronica brought her mom along to be an additional witness, because I was one & Corey was going to be the other – but then we found out that the officiant can’t be a witness. Since he officiated their ceremony, it was perfect that Veronica’s mom was able to come along! Her & Jay’s elopement ceremony was so so beautiful, with the sun shining down on their faces, the dreamiest location overlooking the canyons of Zion, and not many people around us. We seriously could not have asked for a more epic day for this ceremony!
A super sweet review from Veronica + Jay
“If you’re searching for a photographer/videographer for your special day, look no further than Elope with TKM. Teressa and Corey are your people. I assure you, THIS IS YOUR SIGN!
My husband and I found Elope with TKM online. We just got engaged, were eloping in Zion National Park in 2 months and needed a photographer!! T and Corey were quick to respond and were available on such short notice!
T took the time to explain the packages offered, curated a list of suggested hikes that both fit into our hiking abilities and offered gorgeous views for photos, and she and Corey hiked all over Utah with us and their camera gear to capture our wedding photos.
It was an absolute pleasure and delight to work with them. They are genuine people, super kind and absolutely hilarious. They made us feel at ease in front of the camera to let our true selves shine.
We did a photography + videography package and they filmed our ceremony for us to share with our friends and family. When we got our photos and videos back, we were in tears of happiness. We couldn’t believe how amazing they came out! My husband can’t stop watching our wedding videos!!
5 stars isn’t enough, T and Corey literally made our dreams come true and gave us memories we will treasure forever. I cannot thank them enough!!”
Example Multi-Day Zion National Park Elopement Timeline
I find that it’s super helpful when couples can see an example of a real elopement timeline at the location they’re considering, so that they can visualize what their elopement could actually look like! Here’s a rough timeline of what Veronica + Jay’s multi-day Zion elopement looked like and how long we planned for different parts of each day.
Example Zion elopement timeline:
Day 1
9:00 a.m. – Hike + explore the Watchman Trail
12:00 p.m. – Drive to pick up flowers
1:30 p.m. – Do hair
2:30 p.m. – Drive back to the park
3:30 p.m. – Pa’rus Trail & photos
Day 2
Sunrise @ 7:06 a.m.
7:30 a.m. – Canyon Overlook sunrise hike & photos
12:00 p.m. – Lunch
1:00 p.m. – Drive to Kolob Canyon, find parking
3:00 p.m. – Wedding ceremony at Timber Creek Overlook
Sunset @ 5:25 p.m.
6:30 p.m. – Drive to dinner
6:30 p.m. – Dinner
FAQ’s About Eloping in Zion National Park
What locations are permitted for an elopement or wedding in Zion National Park?
Zion is pretty strict with the locations you can hold your official elopement ceremony at – you can’t just have it anywhere in the park! Here are the permitted Zion elopement/wedding ceremony locations you can choose from:
- Temple of Sinawava
- Menu Falls
- Zion Lodge Lawn
- Nature Center North Lawn
- South Campground Amphitheater
- Timber Creek Overlook
What permit do you need to get married in Zion National Park?
To get married in Zion National Park, you need to get a Special Use Permit. This permit is required for any type of wedding, no matter how big your group is, and costs $100 to apply for. You’ll need to submit your application at least 3 weeks in advance of your desired date – luckily we were able to get this permit in time for Veronica + Jay’s elopement since we started planning about 2 months out!
How do you get a Zion National Park wedding permit?
Here’s how to get a Zion National Park Special Use Permit for your wedding or elopement:
- Download & fill out this application form
- Send your completed application via email to zion_commercialservices@nps.gov at least 3 weeks in advance of your desired date
- Pay your $100 application fee via pay.gov as soon as you email in your application
- If your permit request is approved, you’ll receive a permit
- Sign & return this permit to the park for final approval
- Then you’ll be good to go!
How many people can you have at a Zion National Park wedding?
The amount of people you can have at your Zion wedding depends on where you have your ceremony. Here are the max guest capacities of each of the permitted Zion wedding locations:
- Temple of Sinawava: 35
- Menu Falls: 10
- Zion Lodge Lawn: 75
- Nature Center North Lawn: 50
- South Campground Amphitheater: 100
- Timber Creek Overlook: 20
How much does it cost to get into Zion National Park?
To enter Zion National Park, you’ll need a recreational use pass! You can get either a 7-day private vehicle pass for $35, a Zion Annual Pass for $70, or an America the Beautiful Annual Pass for $80 that grants you access to all National Parks. Note that your Special Use Permit doesn’t grant you entry to the park, so you and your guests will still need to get the approparite entry passes.
Zion National Park Elopement Packages
Can you tell we’re obsessed with Zion NP yet?? We would be SO thrilled to get back to Zion in the near future with another awesome couple – so if you’re on the hunt for a photo + video team to document your own incredible Zion National Park elopement, hit us up!! You can check out our Zion elopement packages here, and find out more about us + what we offer on our website 🙂 Can’t wait to help you plan your dream Zion elopement adventure!
Looking for a tropical elopement location instead? Or maybe somewhere in the middle of them mountains? We’ve got plenty of resources for ya – check out some of our recent faves below!
